Ecological effects of a deodorant and a plain soap upon human skin bacteria

Abstract

SUMMARYThe effects of a commercial trichlorocarbanilide-containing deodorant soap and a commercial plain soap upon the cutaneous flora of individuals were compared. Using a cross-over design, 21 volunteers (10 women and 11 men) washed their forearms at least once a day with one soap for 3 weeks and then switched soaps for another 4 weeks use. By analysis of variance no significant difference in total colony counts was noted among individuals in their use of the two soaps. With the exception of individual variation, neither sequence of use, sex, nor any combination was influential. However, in 20 of 21 subjects an alteration in the composition of skin flora was observed. The deodorant soap, which in six cases increased total flora, tended to reduce or eliminate diphtheroids in 12 of 17 carriers (71 %). Fewer kinds of bacteria were also noted. More Staphylococciss epidermidis was seen with the plain soap, but washing with the deodorant soap seemed to favour Acinetobacter calcoaceticus and Micrococcus luteu8. The impact of this alteration and the use of total counts to measure effectiveness ofdeodorant soaps were brought into question.

Normal axillary skin in various populations

“…A number of conditions have been associated with coryneform bacteria, including erythrasma (Sarkany, Taplin & Blank, 1961), trichomycosis axillaris (Crissey, Rebell & Laskas, 1952) and production of axillary odour (Shehadeh & Kligman, 1963b). There have also been a number of studies which showed that procedures associated with a reduction of axillary odour were correlated with a particular decrease in the axillary coryneform population, for example Somerville (1966), Evans et al (1973), Bibel (1977) and McBride, Duncan & Knox (1977).…”

A new microbiological approach to the assessment of underarm deodorants

“…Perhaps the most widely used technique is the scrub method of Williamson (18) involving the standardized scrubbing of a delineated area of skin within a glass cup containing a non-ionic detergent sampling fluid. The literature contains many references t o the use of these techniques to evaluate antibacterial agents and products containing them (19,20,21,22,23).…”